Hi Amigos!
Welcome back to another episode of the podcast!
Before we dive into today’s episode, I just wanted to let you guys know of something I have been a part of for the past month that has been making me so happy! A few days before June 1st, I randomly posted on my IG stories that I was gonna start a 30 day challenge to take 1 action a day towards the thing you wanted to do or the person you wanted to become. 19 people signed up and I thought there would be 0!! For 30 days we showed up every week holding each other accountable and being honest about what we wanted to create. The challenge has become something so much bigger and I’m happy to extend it all to you. If you want to join in on the fun, click here.
Today’s guest is Anastasia Souris! Anastasia began her social media and marketing career with her lifestyle blog in 2016. What started as an outlet to share her love for styling and fashion, took flight and evolved into a digital marketing agency. Her team of 5 help to shape brand's social media presence and community online!
We talk about so many different things on this episode: from how to deal with haters, to starting in an saturated market, to realizing how much our cultures have in common! It’s so inspiring to see someone go for what she wants in an authentic way!
TAKE AWAYS:
Sometimes things happen to set you up for bigger and better things
Take a beat and remind yourself how far you’ve come and how far you’ve grown
It’s not too late, if you wanna do something, start it, go for it
You never know who needs to hear your voice. People relate on different levels.
A candel doesn’t lose it’s light by lighting another. You will still shine
Look to the people before you, your examples, how would they act? What would they do?
Pick up something new, step out of your comfort zone and have fun! It can be good for creativity. Just learn as you go
Just start, there’s never going to be a perfect time
Nasty commenters: It’s a reflection on them. block and move on
One day the highs are highs and other days the lows are lows, recognize it and remember tomorrow is a new day.
What you put out into the world is what you get back
LINKS:
EPISODE TRANSCRIPT:
[00:00:00] Drea: I would love for people to hear a little bit more about your story. You are so much more than a content creator and influencer. And I say it in quotes because it has some people have a bad attachment to that word, but I really feel.
[00:00:12] Drea: You're so much more than that. Like your content is like positive and light and you just are so real on your socials that I would love for you to talk a little bit more about how you've gotten to be where you are today and doing what you do, which obviously looks like you love to do what you do.
[00:00:28] Drea: So go for it.
[00:00:30] Anastasia: I do well, thank you. That was very sweet. I think it happened very organically and maybe that's why it shows that I love doing what I'm doing is just because it's honestly, so genuine. It's so true to me. And what I'm sharing is just like what I would be sharing to my best friend.
[00:00:46] Anastasia: And I try and not think beyond that, because I think you like start to get into your head. I'm already going on a tangent, but I, I started my blog maybe seven years ago, so like 2015. So however many years ago that was now 2016, actually. And it was this like fun thing. It was, I was working a job that I wasn't.
[00:01:07] Anastasia: Crazy excited about, I had just moved home from New York, which at that time, was my dream job. So I was leaving that. I decided I wanted to come back to Cleveland, start fresh there. And I took a job that I ended up loving, but in, in my mind, in that moment, I was like, oh God, I'm back in Cleveland.
[00:01:25] Anastasia: My, my career in fashion is coming to a halt. So I started my Instagram as this wave to like, for myself feel like I'm still. Involved in keeping it going. And it was like picking up at the time. These influencers and bloggers were so hot in that moment and it was cool. It was really inspiring for me to see.
[00:01:45] Anastasia: Women who were more than just outfits. They were smart. They were telling their stories. And I related to that. So I thought, I don't need to necessarily have a billion followers, but this would be cool and fun to do. And I haven't stopped since it's been. It's been a ride ,
[00:02:01] Drea: that's really cool because I know that you also have a digital marketing agency, that you started it's your company. So how was that transition, did you start your blog and, see the growth of your social media and then decide it was the right time at a certain moment to go a little further, like a step above of what you were doing or how did that kind of come to light that you felt like you wanted.
[00:02:25] Drea: Start your own thing.
[00:02:27] Anastasia: It was the most like symbiotic thing I've ever been a part of. I started my blog and Instagram took off at the time and I think it was that era where businesses realized like, this is, we have a space here too. And so many didn't have a clue how to run social media. So here I was like, I didn't necessarily have a large following, but.
[00:02:51] Anastasia: I was putting effort into creating a more curated, a more like aesthetic look and feel to my social media. So my first job back in Cleveland was with Joanne fabrics. I'm not sure if you're familiar. It's yes,
[00:03:05] Drea: crafts. It's so good.
[00:03:08] Anastasia: It's so good. Like I grew up going to Joan's so they're actually headquartered in Cleveland. And while I thought I was going to be living this glamorous life in the fashion industry in New York, I found myself at joint fabrics headquarters in good old Cleveland, Ohio. But they were looking for somebody to. Take over their social media. They were a very established brand with like very little social media presence.
[00:03:32] Anastasia: So it was just kids knit because I was doing this on the side and I was able to show them my profile and say, look, this is like what you can do. I put together a little pitch for them and I got hired and I did that for two years. And that's what really launched my. Marketing career. Cause before I was really just fashion.
[00:03:53] Anastasia: So then I did four years in marketing and I, my company was bought out and we had a massive layoff and I was at a standstill of, I've been wanting to start on my own. I was just scared. I was so terrified and this was the push I had, like everything. In my mind. And even I had some Google documents put together of okay, if I were to launch my own marketing company, this is what it would look like.
[00:04:16] Anastasia: This is who I would love to cater to. I was just too afraid to lead the stability of my nine to five. So getting laid off did it for me. I was like, okay here we are. Let's put this into motion. And that was three years ago now wow.
[00:04:29] Drea: Isn't it awesome. When things like that happen, you would never probably have done it by yourself, but something in the world was like, this is the time today.
[00:04:38] Drea: It's
[00:04:38] Anastasia: And I knew it. I felt it I'm like, okay. Yes, I know I have to do it. This is it. I was just, and I knew I was just being scared. I'm like, I know that if I do it. I can be great at it and I would love it, but I'm just so afraid to leave my like health insurance and my stable check every two weeks.
[00:04:56] Anastasia: And it's it's scary. It's honestly really scary.
[00:04:59] Drea: Totally worth it. Did you always know that you wanted to do something in fashion or when you were growing up? Was that something that always interested you or was it something that kind of showed itself to you later on in your.
[00:05:11] Anastasia: It was something that I literally feel like I was born with.
[00:05:14] Anastasia: I just, from the moment I can even remember, I wanted to be every possible thing. There was in fashion. I would have like little sketchbooks and watch project runway wanted to be on project runway so bad. yeah. From the end of eight I'm, like, I just, I need to be a fashion designer and I would cut up.
[00:05:32] Anastasia: Church dresses. And my mom would freak out on me and I was just, it's always been in me. But I think I felt so limited because I grew up in Cleveland. So I was like I don't know. I don't know if I can, but I loved it so much. So I just pursued it and. It's taken me all over the place. I did it.
[00:05:48] Anastasia: I came back I'm in it again. It's interesting, but it's never really left my life. And I don't think that it will at this point. I'm so in it,
[00:05:56] Drea: People always think of LA New York or like bigger cities as these hubs that can have, that push for that industry.
[00:06:04] Drea: Like fashion industry, music industry and things like that are so big. People look for that creative connection in those cities, but I love that you have your connection and your creativity in your city. Like you really have made it your hub. And I would love for you to talk a little bit more about that.
[00:06:23] Drea: Like, how has that. Been for you, cause I know you had lived in LA for some time. And what was that like for you coming back to your hometown and making it work for you? Like using what you have around you to make your own career, your own moves.
[00:06:37] Anastasia: It's interesting because I have moved around a lot.
[00:06:42] Anastasia: I did the LA thing. I did New York. I did Charleston, but Cleveland was. Always home, obviously like my family's here and my friends, but I don't know. There's so much pride here. It's this weird thing. People are just so proud to be from Cleveland. And we may be just a little bit delusional because it's like gray and raining, like literally nine out of the 12 months, but we just love it.
[00:07:08] Anastasia: I don't know. It's, there's something about it. And there's this Energy here. There's tons of creatives. There's tons of entrepreneurs. And I think because it's life is a little bit more manageable. It's a little bit slower and people are more willing. It's not so doggy dog people are willing to bond together and help each other.
[00:07:27] Anastasia: And so it didn't seem so left field that I wanted to do something that wasn't necessarily. Present here, because I have seen so many people just flourish and grow their businesses here that I'm like, it's so inspiring. I'm like I can do this too. I love Cleveland. It's beautiful. I wanna show it off.
[00:07:44] Anastasia: It gets a bad rep. And it's not like that it's actually a really amazing place to live. So it was like a little bit of I wanna prove people wrong and show them that this is a great spot. And then also just I loved it so much and it was, it just. Made sense. I think also having traveled and lived other places.
[00:08:04] Anastasia: I it definitely helped. I don't wanna say that played no part in it because it definitely did. I saw a lot. I met people, and I think it was really cool in my experience to bring all those things back here and find my like, happy spot.
[00:08:19] Drea: Yeah. I'm originally from Miami and a lot of people always thought of Miami as just a place where you vacation and and I was always like, but there's so many creative people and it's such a hub for creatives, especially now I think with the pandemic.
[00:08:36] Drea: So many people moved from LA and New York. To Miami and, there's so many different people, which is really great, but it was that same idea of like proving people wrong. No, there are like creatives everywhere. You can make it work for you.
[00:08:50] Anastasia: I totally agree. It's like this, inner like fighting me. I'm like, no, it's cool. Yeah.
[00:08:54] Drea: So you've had your digital marketing agency for some time now. And what has it been like then to grow that aside from your content creation how has it been like for you to grow that simultaneously
[00:09:06] Anastasia: in a way I think it was really beneficial to me in the sense that I had this established enough blog to show like, okay I could just show that to them.
[00:09:17] Anastasia: Like I know what I'm doing. I've been doing this here is this proof right here. But I also, for myself, like I wanted to be more than just my social media and Instagram. I love marketing. I'm a marketer by trade. Like I'm not an influencer by trade. I spent years doing it and it's just so interesting to me.
[00:09:38] Anastasia: So I really wanted to make sure that was like first and foremost that I have the experience. I have the knowledge. I'm constantly trying to evolve and adjust because it's a, the fast moving train. Marketing is changing every three seconds nowadays. So it was interesting to find that balance on how I would talk to people, talk to potential clients.
[00:09:59] Anastasia: And I really tried to put like that foot first and then my influencer foot second, but I didn't wanna shy away from it either. It's an accomplishment. I really, it's not like I didn't put effort into it. I am, so I don't want it to seem, I want them to have equal weight. But I think like the weird challenge that I didn't expect to find was so many clients, if it was relevant, wanted to like loop in my personal stuff into like their work.
[00:10:27] Anastasia: So it was like this interesting balance of wait, that's usually like a separate. Scenario and like sometimes and don't get me wrong. I'm happy. I do shout out my clients and share them and this and that, but the ones that come forward first of okay, we want X amount of things on your personal and included in the price of all of the marketing.
[00:10:49] Anastasia: I usually don't go forward with that because it's you have to see the value in both things. Like it's. So it's been an interesting, like thing to navigate because I never really experienced like this much of the influencer side of things when I was working corporate marketing. So it's as they come up, it's really, it's been an interesting thing to figure out.
[00:11:08] Drea: Having also maybe that boundary of having your. Your company and like being that professional side of this is for you rather than I'm gonna now use this for my own content.
[00:11:18] Anastasia: Yeah. It's I think with anyone who starts their own business, you are somewhat like tunnel vision.
[00:11:25] Anastasia: You're like, okay, I wanna get here. I wanna get this, I wanna get this. And then You're so like in the weeds of when like new things pop up, that you weren't expecting, like this influencer, like piece of my marketing business, that's been coming in and out and then like other things. And I think you can get easily caught up .
[00:11:42] Anastasia: Did I, am I where I wanna be? And like it, sometimes I have been really taking the time to look back and say, okay, three years ago, I was in an entirely different place. Like I've surpassed the goal that I wanted to get at year one and year two. Like you have to remind yourself that you're doing it.
[00:11:58] Anastasia: You're on track. It's working. It just feels, it doesn't feel like it's crazy. It's it's a lot of work. You don't necessarily feel like, oh, I made it to the end. I'm good. I'm coasting. Like you're never coasting. It's always the next thing. And it's a little bit wild, but I feel like that was my one of my biggest takeaways was making myself take a beat and appreciate how hard and how far and how much it's evolved and grown.
[00:12:23] Drea: That's something we talk a lot about on the podcast, because it's all about the journey of pursuing, what you want to do. And I always say that. The whole point of it is because once you get there, you're just thinking of the next thing. You're just thinking, okay, like once you there's no actual there, there's goals and stuff, but you'll always want something more.
[00:12:42] Drea: So you might as well just enjoy the journey. Like you might as well just enjoy where you are and what you're doing and who you're doing it with,
[00:12:49] Anastasia: yes. Yes. I couldn't agree more. Every year we set new goals and yeah, we wanna achieve it. It's a never ending cycle and it should be that way.
[00:12:57] Anastasia: Like we should always be growing, but to your point, exactly, enjoy it. Be proud of yourself. Like you're doing it.
[00:13:04] Drea: Do you think it's too late for people that are just starting to get into the fashion world or the blogging world, or wanna maybe do what you're doing and look at you and say oh, that's something I really admire and aspire to be.
[00:13:18] Drea: Do you think it's too late? Or would you have any advice for someone that is thinking about, doing something similar to what you're doing?
[00:13:24] Anastasia: So I actually love this question because I was listening to a podcast and. They were asked like a very similar question about influencing in particular. And the girl's response was like, yeah, it's oversaturated.
[00:13:39] Anastasia: Honestly, I would find a new niche. And my like, my mouth was literally on the floor. I'm like, what's that is so crazy. And this was a big podcast with a huge platform. I'm like, oh my God. Can't believe this is the narrative that's being put out there. What, like we are gonna get old and washed up and like what, so what, no one else can come in.
[00:14:01] Anastasia: Like what about the people who were doing it? Not necessarily this, like maybe it looked a little bit different, but like influence is nothing new. There's always been influential people in your community. It's just packaged up a little bit differently right now on social media and. Yeah.
[00:14:15] Anastasia: Or have more access to them, which, and it's cool. So just because you didn't start it five years ago doesn't mean that you don't have something interesting and relevant and of an opinion and of that I'm no, if you wanna do it, start it, like I can, I'm like fired up.
[00:14:33] Drea: no, I'm so happy that you are fired up.
[00:14:35] Drea: Cuz I'm the same way. Like when someone talks to me about that kind of stuff or I have a conversation about. I get the same way, because I'm like, but everyone's voice is different. Even if you do the same kind of work, you're not gonna do it the same way that person did it. So people need to hear your voice.
[00:14:52] Drea: People need to have
[00:14:53] Anastasia: you like, do what you love to do or
[00:14:55] Drea: wanna start, because if you don't like, that's just gonna end up hurting you and then hurting other people that can use, like what you're doing. Like, why
[00:15:02] Anastasia: not totally it's not like the founders of the first bloggers in I didn't invent the wheel.
[00:15:09] Anastasia: Like I, I have a very similar style to I'm sure. So many people, that's why it works because we relate in that way. And it's not just okay, love, basics, love neutrals. We can't have another one of those. It's more than that. We're people we're dynamic. Like I'm from Cleveland. I'm Greek. I like to do this.
[00:15:26] Anastasia: We do, I do Pilates. Whether you just like me for my neutral style, that's fine. But maybe you relate on so many other levels. So to start you might be inspiring someone in your community who hasn't, who is afraid. And if you start and you say, look, I can do this too. Let's bring it, we're bringing each other all up.
[00:15:44] Anastasia: I just, it doesn't need to be like, you need to have a million followers and no one else is allowed to join this club. Yeah. It's
[00:15:49] Drea: so sad that's a very Repeated narrative that people keep like spreading, oh, it's already been done. There's too many people. Like all these algorithms are not showing the content.
[00:16:00] Drea: Like all these D. Things that people are saying, but there's this quote or this idea that I had shared sometime before on the podcast about candles. And it's like, how many candles do you buy? Like seriously, how many candles? Different SCS, different sizes, different colors, but you buy eight. Like every time I go to target, I'm like, let's buy all of the ones I want.
[00:16:22] Drea: And then you light them all. But none of them, are diminishing the others. Like you still love all the candles the same way, and it's the same thing. It's the same idea. Just because you light your fire doesn't mean that you're dimming someone else's or you're like turning someone else's off.
[00:16:38] Drea: And I love thinking about that because it's with everything. If you wanna start a podcast, if you wanna start a new blog, if you wanna address a new way, like you can like it there's space for everyone whatever's meant for, you will always be for you always.
[00:16:56] Anastasia: You just have to go grab it, honestly. Yeah.
[00:16:59] Anastasia: I'm so glad you said that. Like my favorite quote of all time is a candle. Doesn't lose its light by lighting another like you will still shine. Yeah. Yeah. Still you are still you and it's okay that other people can shine too. Like you like it and enjoy it. Can't the next person.
[00:17:15] Drea: Yeah.
[00:17:15] Drea: Being a Greek woman? I feel like it's very similar to Latino culture where it's like big family, a lot of celebration, a lot of go get it. Like moms, women are such powerhouses.
[00:17:29] Drea: Oh yeah. And I always think about my mom or my grandma or my ancestors and I. They're bad asses. They would've never been like, I can't do that. Like I'm not even gonna go for it
[00:17:41] Anastasia: a hundred percent. And I say that all the time. I'm like, I am so happy that I was raised by the women who raised me because they, oh my God.
[00:17:50] Anastasia: Like I just, I'm not even half of the women. They are like, oh yeah, It's the fire. It's you are, you it's you and you can do it and you don't need anybody else. And it's yeah.
[00:18:02] Drea: It's I know it's this power that I, when I start talking about it with them, I'm like, wow I'm like, you guys could take over the world.
[00:18:10] Drea: I'm like, I'm so glad I have a little bit of that blood in me.
[00:18:14] Anastasia: oh yeah.
[00:18:14] Drea: Oh yeah.
[00:18:15] Drea: Something I sometimes ask on the pod. What do you do on days that you don't feel like. Showing up. So I know your job, a lot of what you do is on camera, like showing up as yourself and sharing with your community, the things that you're thinking, doing, saying everything.
[00:18:32] Drea: What do you do on those days that you don't really feel like you wanna be on what kind of sets you back up? What kind of helps you get back on track?
[00:18:40] Anastasia: I think it's taken time to figure this out because there was a time when I first started that I didn't know how to turn it on and off. It was just like, I would feel so drained and exhausted.
[00:18:52] Anastasia: And then I didn't necessarily feel like force myself to do it. Like maybe I would, but I would just feel incredibly drained. And now I've learned. It's okay. If you need to take a day, even this week, I think it was like a few days ago. It was this gray raining day. And I had so much content.
[00:19:16] Anastasia: I had to shoot that I wanted to get done that day for like collaborations and clients and this and that. And it was pitch black in my apartment. And I was like in my pajamas doing work at my table all day long. I'm like, I can't, I literally do not have. The capacity to go do my hair, put my makeup on attempt to figure out some it was just like, it makes no sense.
[00:19:38] Anastasia: So instead I'm like, okay, it's not like it's literally due tomorrow. It's fine. I'm not doing it today. I'm gonna do something else that would go down to the gym or go for a steam or get my laundry done. Like something that I still feel good. Like I'm not just like sitting on the couch, watching TV. In all honesty.
[00:19:57] Anastasia: I love to do that, but it sometimes makes me feel worse. Like I can't do that for too long. I'm gonna
[00:20:01] Drea: say exact way. I'm like, I need to move
[00:20:04] Anastasia: I need to move. Yeah, I've got energy. I have to burn it. So like doing other things that can be done around the house, that, that makes me feel good.
[00:20:11] Anastasia: Getting little tasks done, doing something for me. Whether it's talking on the phone or going to this team, I said, or Pilates or something I've just learned that's okay. And it's fine. It's not like you're a failure. And I used to feel like a failure on days like that. Oh my God, I just wanted to do this and I didn't do it, but it's like, those other things still needed to be done.
[00:20:29] Anastasia: So you did them like, cuz if you're not doing those other things, like it's piling up and you're not you're not gonna feel balanced. I tell myself that I train myself because there's still times where I'm like, Ugh, I wanted to do this. I wanted to do more. It's there's tomorrow.
[00:20:44] Drea: It's fine.
[00:20:45] Drea: Yeah. I love that advice because I'm someone that's the same way. Like I always like to move. I'm a very routine junky. Like I'd love waking up, working out. Eating healthy. That's just something that has really set me up for my days. And I know that doesn't work for everyone, but for me, I've trial and error has always been like, okay, what actually works for me.
[00:21:06] Drea: And there are some days where I feel like that where I'm like, I don't really want to show up in this way. And instead I'm like, okay, maybe I won't show up the way I usually do, but there are other ways I can, and yeah, respecting that feeling is I think super important too, especially when. On camera all the time.
[00:21:24] Drea: That's hard.
[00:21:25] Anastasia: Yeah. Yeah. Even just like the example of working out seven days, working out every day, I used to do that. I used to work out every day diligent and there are days where I literally just didn't want to. I'm like, I don't wanna go, I have no energy. I worked out five other days this week, six other days.
[00:21:45] Anastasia: And you just learn that. If you like, let go a little bit of the rains. Your life is not going to change that much. Like it's okay. And I it's trial and error is the perfect way to put it because like you, as like you learn okay, actually it's fine. Let's do something else. Like maybe I needed to rest today.
[00:22:06] Anastasia: I don't need to be on camera every single day. I can do something else I can. And you know what it's not like I'm getting bombarded with messages. Like where are you? Where have you been today? Like they get it. It's great. We all have our own lives.
[00:22:17] Drea: Yeah. I don't know. No, that's a great point because I feel like when it's your job too, you think, oh, no, like people are gonna notice, but like you're human.
[00:22:27] Drea: Like you might need to just sleep. You might just need to like, watch a movie, go out with your guy, go out with your parents. I don't know, like you might need something else.
[00:22:36] Anastasia: Yeah. And people are usually pretty understanding. They're like, okay girl, go ahead. yeah. Do your
[00:22:43] Drea: thing. Yeah, no, for sure.
[00:22:45] Drea: Something we also always talk about on the pod is trying new things and you reminded me cuz of the trial and error we were just talking about. You like, it's sometimes so hard to start something new when you've never done it. And we were saying before, a lot of people have done it and it can be daunting even though.
[00:23:05] Drea: Asia and I are like, just go do it. but you recently started a YouTube channel and you've talked about it okay, I'm new to this. Be easy on me, just but I'm doing it. And I'm really proud of myself. So can you talk about how that process has been, like you starting something new and testing the waters of that?
[00:23:23] Anastasia: It's been, it's honestly been really fun because I'm not putting so much pressure on it and It's it, I haven't felt the sensation of something so foreign to me and new to me and so long, and to an extent sure. I know how to talk into the camera. I've been doing it now, but like it's so different.
[00:23:42] Anastasia: It's just an entirely different platform and the way it's set up and it's been so good for me to have this learning curve and it's like an entirely. New community, like sure. There's people who've come over, but there's new people that I'm connecting with and they're like commenting and it's honestly been so fun.
[00:24:02] Anastasia: And it, I think I love that. Like I'm not established on YouTube. I think I have I don't know, a couple hundred followers, but like it's. I,
[00:24:12] Drea: I love that. I love the feeling of oh my God, like
[00:24:14] Anastasia: a new subscriber I'm so excited about it. It's it's not, it doesn't get lost on me at all. I'm like, this is awesome.
[00:24:21] Anastasia: I got one new comment this week. What do they say? And I just I separate it from Instagram and other places where it's an established community. We've been doing this now. Like we're friends, we're girlfriends. We've been chatting like. So I think for my creativity, it's been so cool to have this like new thing that I'm learning and like I'm loving it.
[00:24:41] Anastasia: And I'm like, oh, how can I make this better? What did I do in this last video that I can adjust? And you just you start to pick up these things that I remember doing that when I started Instagram and I'm like, oh my God this is that same type of learn as you go. And like just Don.
[00:24:57] Anastasia: Be serious. Don't be so serious. It's fine. It's YouTube. So it's fun to pick up something new and try that when you don't have you're not putting this like constant pressure to be the best and succeed at it. Like it might flop who knows, but like it's fun. I'm learning. So yeah,
[00:25:13] Drea: it was cool to do that.
[00:25:14] Drea: Yeah. It's what I actually just talked about on a podcast I released . And it was like letting go of this idea of perfectionism, forgetting that things have to be perfect before you start. And the truth is if I had waited. To be perfect at podcasting, which I literally recorded my first episode with these headphones, the apple headphones and the garage band on my laptop.
[00:25:34] Drea: And if I had waited until I bought the perfect mic, until I learned how to edit perfectly, if I had waited, I would've never started. I think I would've still been like, I can be better. I can be better. I can be better instead of just releasing it and being like, I'm testing it out, everyone. No one knows me in the podcast world, but let's go for it.
[00:25:52] Drea: Let's learn as we.
[00:25:53] Anastasia: yeah, a hundred percent. I couldn't agree more. Even like on social media, there's like the way I was editing photos and whatever, even like a year ago, I'm like, oh, like I wouldn't do that now. Six months ago, it's it's constantly changing. Like you have to just start because there's never gonna be that like, Perfect time that like, oh, I have every single resource I need.
[00:26:16] Anastasia: I'm fully educated. I know everything. Now I can start no, that's just not real.
[00:26:20] Drea: It's not real. And also if you have a vision of the person that you wanna be, and it takes doing what you're thinking of doing, and just keep waiting and prolonging and thinking about it the longer it'll take to get to be that person that you wanna be like, you can just start from where you are and with what you.
[00:26:38] Anastasia: Yeah. A hundred percent. I couldn't agree more. What do you feel
[00:26:43] Drea: sets you up for the day? What wakes you up in the morning and is like that fire, that kind of lights you up?
[00:26:48] Anastasia: That's a good question. So I love my morning routine and I think that, like when I wake up I'm like, okay, I'm excited to go do my routine.
[00:26:58] Anastasia: And it makes me happy and makes me feel like I have. Set myself up okay, now I can like, continue this like good path that I'm on. And when I'm, when we're lucky, like now it's beautiful weather here. So I always sleep with the blinds open, wake up to the sun and just it makes me happy.
[00:27:16] Anastasia: I think we take every sunny morning. Like we don't take it for granted here. We's just okay. Another one. Cool. This is a good day. And then I. Make my hot water with lemon. I do my five minute journal, which I'm not gonna lie. I. Not a believer in I'm like, oh my God, I see this all over Instagram. Like I don't get it.
[00:27:37] Anastasia: And then someone sent me one and I did it. And I was like, this is the best thing that's ever happened to me. It's just like the few moments to actually write down things you're grateful for what would make today. Great. And you think about it and you're just in, you're in the moment and you're being mindful and you're literally setting up your day and saying okay, this would make my day great.
[00:27:59] Anastasia: And so you implement it like you do it. And then at the end of the day, it's what happened today? That was great. And what did I learn today? And I don't know. It's this little, it sounds so cheesy, but it literally changed my mornings of just like that few minutes of mindfulness and gratitude.
[00:28:15] Anastasia: And I've just, it like changed my perspective. So I do that while I'm drinking my cup of coffee. I don't do any work before I do it. It's become my new rule. Like even if I know my emails are unread, It's three minutes out of my day, like at eight o'clock in the morning, it's fine. , so I think taking the morning to set yourself up the way you do, and like my skincare that makes me, it brings me joy.
[00:28:37] Anastasia: It takes five minutes. Yes. Maybe 10 times if I want a new face, like it's, I've learned, I have to do these things. Because then I feel like, okay, when I'm done, my table's clear, I'm ready to work. And I'm there. Like I'm mentally here ready to go. And if I just throw myself into it abruptly, I'm all over the place.
[00:28:58] Anastasia: So a routine is so good for
[00:29:00] Drea: me. Yeah. And , I feel like you're also really good at sharing. The things that, really do set you up and make you the best person that you can be while also I feel like you just do a great job at keeping whatever is like yours, yours.
[00:29:14] Anastasia: For sure. I feel like I've learned, especially with my personal life with girlfriends and relationships and family I just keep that time to myself and like this to mean I don't share things like I definitely do, but I think it helps create separation for me because those are the people and the moments that fill up my cup as much as I love social media.
[00:29:34] Anastasia: And I love connecting. It takes a lot out of you, it's so fulfilling, but also okay, like you, you can go a day and you'll lose like 50 followers, a hundred followers or something like, and it's just what did I do that day? Like it's so you can't put it can't be your everything. It can add to the quality of your life and in good and bad ways.
[00:29:55] Anastasia: But the moments that like truly do give me so much joy. Like I notice that I don't even have my phone out. Like I'm, it's in my bag. And people will call me out. They. You literally run social media as if you're a marketer and you don't have you should be taking a photo of this. I'm like, oh my God.
[00:30:09] Anastasia: You're right. Okay. Hold on, lemme get my phone. It's just, I don't know. I've I'm really happy that I've learned that balance because there was a time that I didn't. But. Yeah. It's important to me to keep some things just for me, because otherwise I'll feel so exposed all the time.
[00:30:25] Drea: Yeah. And you have a really great community of like women that are like following you and really, truly just.
[00:30:33] Drea: Are like supporting you. Cause that's sometimes really hard to come by when you're on socials all the time. And so what do you do when you find that kind of person that isn't aligned with you and how do you deal with that? And give advice to someone that maybe is going through that they share what they love and they're very authentic and they show up all the time, but maybe there's someone that doesn't get them and nags them.
[00:30:56] Anastasia: I've definitely come across. I, first of all, I'm so like lucky that the women in the community that I have is so incredibly kind and uplifting. Like they are just, I could never grow again a day in my life, but if I had the people I have here, like I'm good. I'm so good. They are. I'm so inspired by them and they'll come to me with ideas and I'm like, oh my God, this is it.
[00:31:21] Anastasia: This is how it should be. Like, it's not a one way street of me all the time. But sure. There's been people who have come through that will leave a nasty comment or who just don't get you. They're like, you just wanna, you just want this for the free stuff. And then this and that I'm like, where did you, how'd you even get there?
[00:31:38] Anastasia: That's not it at all. You're obviously. Following or you're totally like I'm coming off so wrong to you because I don't know how you've made these judgements. And I've just learned it's usually always a reflection on them, like the it's and you hate to put it back on people, but I would never say something like that to a stranger.
[00:31:58] Anastasia: I would never be rude to a stranger. I'm good. I feel good in my space and my elements and there's things I need to work on. Sure. But at the end of the day, I'm good. And there's obviously something that is happening going on with them. They're just having a bad day and unfortunately that's the tools they have is they're gonna just be mean to you.
[00:32:18] Anastasia: So you gotta just block and move on. Like I, you can't like there's a few times where it has sat with me and I'm like, oh my God. Like it's you can't drop it sometimes. Like I used to there's moments where I'm just like, I can't let this go. I'm so upset at this comment. It's so rude and so false.
[00:32:35] Anastasia: But you have to because what, think of how much time you're spending, thinking about this literal stranger who like sent it and doesn't even remember sending it, like they moved on. Yeah, I just, I don't have the energy for it. No space yet. Yeah.
[00:32:46] Drea: And also so many of those, like some people post, like these mean comments and then the person replies saying I didn't even know you were gonna see it.
[00:32:53] Drea: It's then why did you even message them exactly. Like, why did you even comment? But it's so true. What you said. It's just a reflection of them. And honestly, happy people don't even have the time to leave something mean because they're happy.
[00:33:07] Anastasia: Exactly. It just would never cross my mind. Like why would I do that?
[00:33:10] Drea: Yeah, it's so dumb. It's so dumb, but that's great advice, cuz I feel like it's become more and more normal, unfortunately for people to be nasty. And it's important to keep that in mind. Just like you said, block and move on. Exactly. Something we usually ask on the podcast are these two questions that Kind of talk about success and failure, but they're very like in quotes because success obviously means so many different things and failure, I really feel is just redirections, just, finding out that you can learn from it.
[00:33:42] Drea: But what would you say has been your biggest win or your biggest success in your personal life or in your career? And what would you say has been your biggest loss or failure so far? I
[00:33:52] Anastasia: think my biggest success would be where I'm at now. I feel so balanced in all of my boxes of life. Like I, and not to say that I'm the, everything is like peachy and perfect, but at least I know if one box is or one cup's a little less.
[00:34:13] Anastasia: And one's a little more full, the it'll balance out. And I, it that's okay with me where before it was like, oh my God I'm failing here. I had such a good night with my girlfriends. And now I'm like behind on this and to go through those motions is so normal. And I think also as an entrepreneur, you're there's no such thing as balance. Like you're you are going to do amazing. One day, the highs are high and the lows are low. Sometimes you like there's days where I'm like, oh my God what did I do today? What, what got done? I feel like I was either on the phone all day or doing whatever, moving slow, like it's just a day.
[00:34:51] Anastasia: And it's impossible to think that you're not going to have that. So I think. Recognizing that and knowing, okay, I had this day today, but I know for fact tomorrow I will not have this day again because I recognize it and it's fine and it's gonna move forward. So I think on that level of just like giving myself, grace is the biggest win of all time because I struggled so much with anxiety.
[00:35:16] Anastasia: Pressure and feeling oh my God, I have to do this. I have to do this. I can't understand why I didn't do the best that I was going to do today. And you and I would get so down on myself. So to see that's okay, is the biggest win I could have truly.
[00:35:31] Drea: Yeah. People should normalize that.
[00:35:32] Drea: Like it's just, it's okay for you to have a bad day. Yeah. And also to just remember that. It, like you said, tomorrow is a new day. Like you might just wake up in a different mood. Like it just might be that you woke up that day. You were just not about it,
[00:35:46] Anastasia: yeah. Yeah. And I think like on a more work level too, like the nature of my work is that some clients will leave.
[00:35:55] Anastasia: They're not gonna be with you for the rest of their life. And I used to. Freak out oh my God, why did they leave? And it would be nothing that would have to do with the quality of work. It's just, maybe they didn't have budget anymore. Maybe they wanted to rebrand. Like it could be a million things.
[00:36:11] Anastasia: But I think that I used to take it so personal and now I've learned, okay. Maybe there's clients that actually don't serve me. It's an unhealthy relationship. It's, I'm being taken advantage of. I'm asking, I'm being asked for way more than what we've signed up on the, on a contract. So learning to stand my ground and be firm in like the contracts that I signed has been like, I'm very proud of myself for that because I was such a people pleaser in the beginning.
[00:36:40] Anastasia: No problem. I got it. One hour later, it's yours. There was no balance for me. And I was like blatantly being taken advantage of, or like I would get reached out to at two o'clock in the morning. I would get texts. I'm like, this is not a hotline. This is a literal business. I am not on call.
[00:36:55] Anastasia: Like nothing is that important. So learning to I've had to let go of a few clients now in my three years, I wouldn't have never done that in the beginning. And I think that growth too, like on a professional level is a win .
[00:37:11] Anastasia: , I'm sure I've had plenty of like losses and. To your point? I don't think there, I don't feel like, oh my God, this changed my life. This was the biggest loss. There's been like moments where I'm like, okay, this hurts. This is not ideal. This is, this was a big client that went a different route.
[00:37:27] Anastasia: Like what can we do here? That's that we can like reroute and adjust and do better for next time. I think that's more of the game for me. I don't really, I don't harp on it too long. Sit in your feels for a day if it's really getting to you, but like the next day it's you're right back up and add it because it's like the nature of it.
[00:37:45] Anastasia: I think like you put out into the universe, what you're gonna get back in and if you're positive and you are. Grateful for the experience and you recognize that , I could have done things differently or what can I do in the future then it's not a loss it's just making you better and stronger for the future.
[00:38:04] Drea: A thousand percent. I always, I love asking those two questions, especially the failure one, because the whole reason I even started asking that on the podcast is cuz I heard Sarah Blakely one time on a podcast and she was talking about how her dad would ask her every night. What did you fail at today at school?
[00:38:22] Drea: And she would be like, she never really got why, until she got older. And she was like, my dad redefined failure for me because I wasn't afraid to say. I got an F and he would be like, great. Yeah. So what are you gonna do tomorrow to knock at the F so it was a way for her to see that it's normal to fail.
[00:38:40] Drea: Like it's a part of life and it doesn't have to be excluded or, you don't have to hide from it. You don't have to try to avoid it. It's gonna happen. And you just have to learn how to make that work for you. And when she said it like that, I was like, why isn't anyone else talking about this? In the sense of failing is a part of every single person's journey, business industry, life, like it's gonna happen, it's gonna happen.
[00:39:04] Drea: And you just have to learn how to make it work for you and not be so afraid of it. So I started asking people on the podcast, like what has been your biggest failure? Just so if they also didn't see, they could see but it wasn't really a failure cuz you always learned from it. And what was interesting is that everyone on the podcast.
[00:39:20] Drea: every single person has said, I don't know if it's a failure, but because they know, and it's just something that when you think of you're like, oh no, I don't wanna fail, but it's normal.
[00:39:31] Anastasia: Exactly. And you always come out of it on the other side. And you're like I guess I wasn't a failure because like here you are like, you're good.
[00:39:39] Drea: Yeah, it redirected you and it took you where you needed to be. Anyway, like even when you were saying about being, let go or, having that whole thing happen at your job, like that could have been a quote unquote failure, but instead look where you are now.
[00:39:54] Anastasia: Totally. Oh, I, and I had my moment of freak out and it's fine.
[00:39:58] Anastasia: You can have your moment of freak out. I'm like, what am I gonna do? What, how come they out of everyone that got, let go? Like, why didn't I say was there something, like you, you just, you go through these things and you think about it, but it's just like big look, think big picture. Like it's gonna hurt in that moment, but it's to set you up for bigger
[00:40:19] Drea: and better.
[00:40:21] Drea: Thank you so much for being on the podcast. I truly feel like if I lived in
[00:40:25] Anastasia: Cleveland, we'd be best friends. You need to know if you're ever in town or nearby because I
[00:40:32] Drea: will, thank you so much for being on the podcast. This has been awesome.
[00:40:35] Anastasia: No, thank you. This has been so amazing and you're so great and I love the podcast, so I'm happy to be
[00:40:40] Drea: here. Thank you. Thank you.